He said it was a cause of concern for India and the world community if a country thinks only about its own interests.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday the US President Donald Trump’s statement about his country exiting the Paris climate agreement came as a shock and that India is hopeful that the United States would rethink its decision of withdrawing from the accord.

Speaking at the two-day conference on ‘Capacity Building of State Disaster Response Force 2017’ in New Delhi, Singh said it was a cause of concern for India and the world community if a country thinks only about its own interests.

“The US president’s statement on Paris agreement has come as a shock for us and the international community. I am sure the US will l rethink its decision,” he said.

The home minister said it had to be seen in what circumstances the US president made the statement on the Paris accord.

Trump announced last week he was withdrawing the US from the Paris accord, saying it was bad for his country and its economy but kept the door open for a “new transaction” on terms that are fair to America.

Trump named India and China among the reasons he called the Paris climate change deal, agreed by more than 190 nations, unfair to the US.

The US president said the deal was not tough enough on China and India. China will continue polluting for a “staggering number of years”, he said, referring to its self-determined mitigation target.

He also said “India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions, billions and billions of foreign aid from developed countries” and while the United States was expected to cut production of coal under the accord, India could double it.

“Our signature in the pact was not because of greed, it was not because of fear. We signed it due to our commitment to protecting the environment ... India will continue to be part of it irrespective of whether the US remains in it or not,” Swaraj told reporters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said last Friday India is committed to protecting the climate, irrespective of the Paris agreement, but avoided a direct reference to the US withdrawing from the international deal.

Modi said India has traditionally been respecting nature and desisted from exploiting it while addressing the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

“Paris or no Paris, our commitment to preserving the climate is for the sake of future generations,” Modi said.